governed by natural selection, some other evolutionary process (drift, migra-
tion and so on), or Sperberian attraction.^13 In our example of recipes, typical
epidemiological factors of cultural transmission—that is, evolved preferences
that define attractor positions—can be seen as part of the larger set of forces
that govern the evolution of cultural bits on the replicator-level. They are
joined by a host of other factors that can be related to biological and cultural
variables. Although contemplating a single example cannot lead to conclusive
results, we have seen that epidemiology and cultural evolution are not mutu-
ally exclusive theories and attraction and natural selection can interact in the
transmission of culture. We will come back to some aspects of attraction and
selection in more detail in the context of textual transmission in Chapter 4.
2.7 CONCLUSIONOur survey of the mechanisms, modes, and levels of evolution provided us
with an opportunity to continue the discussion introduced in the previous
chapter and delve deeper into various cognitive theories of religion. Evolu-
tionary psychology, cultural selection, group selection, memetics, and cultural
epidemiology are examples of broader theoretical frameworks within which
(and against which) cognitive theories of religious often position themselves.
However, as already mentioned, it is not always necessary to subscribe to
particular views of evolution to appreciate and use cognitive approaches to
religion. After all, cognitive science works with a diverse toolkit, in which
evolutionary theory is an important intellectual tool but not the only one. In
Chapter 3 I will turn to the anatomy of the human brain, which will pave the
way for discussing neuroscientific aspects of memory, religious experience,
morality, and other elements of the New Testament in later chapters.
(^13) Let us note that attractor positions exist in natural selection, as well. For example, having
eyes or wings can be seen as attractors, as shown by convergent evolutionary processes across
different biological taxa.
48 Cognitive Science and the New Testament